2000
#8,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,621
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Hoehn
A German occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or owned a small hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,970 Americans carry the last name Hoehn. That puts it at #9,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoehn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,336
Census rank
#9,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,462 bearers of the surname Hoehn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoehn
The surname HOEHN is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. This name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "hone," which means "rooster" or "cockerel." The earliest documented instances of this surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany.
One of the earliest records of the HOEHN surname can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the German state of Bavaria. In the year 1387, a document mentions a certain "Hans Hoehn," suggesting that the name was already in use during that time.
The HOEHN surname also appeared in several historical manuscripts and records from the 15th and 16th centuries. For instance, in the town of Nuremberg, a merchant named "Konrad Hoehn" was listed in a guild registry from the year 1492.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Hohn," "Hoen," and "Höhn." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
During the 17th century, the HOEHN surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Michael Hoehn (1640-1712), a renowned German composer and organist. He served as the court organist for the Duke of Saxe-Zeitz and composed numerous works for organ and harpsichord.
Another notable figure bearing the HOEHN surname was Friedrich Hoehn (1802-1867), a German politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutionary period of 1848-1849 and played a significant role in the drafting of the Frankfurt Constitution.
In the late 19th century, a German immigrant named Johann Hoehn (1845-1923) made his mark in the United States. He settled in Wisconsin and became a prominent figure in the brewing industry, establishing the Hoehn Brewing Company in La Crosse.
The HOEHN surname also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Hohnstein, a town in the state of Saxony, and Hohnhorst, a district in the city of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony.
Throughout history, the HOEHN surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, musicians, politicians, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the rich cultural heritage associated with this German name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoehn
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoehn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hoehn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 3,228
- Two or more races2.6% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 36
- Black or African American0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoehn
Hoehn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,499
-122 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 911 places
2020
#9,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,462
-37 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 238 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,390 | 3,621 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,301 | 3,499 | 1.19 | -122 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 911 places |
| 2020 | #9,063 | 3,462 | 1.16 | -37 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 238 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hoehn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,301 | #9,063 | 2.6% |
| Count | 3,499 | 3,462 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.16 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoehn bearers went from 3,499 to 3,462 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 238 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,301 to #9,063.
FAQ
Hoehn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoehn?
Name Census estimates that about 3,970 living Americans carry the surname Hoehn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,336 residents.
How common is Hoehn?
Hoehn ranks #9,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,462 people with the surname Hoehn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hoehn.
Has Hoehn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoehn went from 3,499 recorded bearers to 3,462. That is a decrease of 37 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,301 to #9,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoehn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoehn, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hoehn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (3,228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoehn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hoehn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hoehn mean?
A German occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or owned a small hill or mound. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hoehn (1.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Hoehn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.